Kathy Ireland
| died= | hometown= Glendale, California | knownfor= Model & entrepreneur | season= Dancing with the Stars 9 | partner= Tony Dovolani | place= 14 | highestscore= 18 (Quickstep) | lowestscore= 16 (Salsa) | averagescore= 17.0 }} Kathleen Marie "Kathy" Ireland is a celebrity from Season 9 of Dancing with the Stars. Early Life Kathy Ireland was born in Glendale, California, the daughter of John and Barbara Ireland. Modeling In 1979, at the age of sixteen, Kathy Ireland was scouted at her high school by Elite Model Management. She has appeared on covers of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Forbes, and Mademoiselle. As a teenager, Ireland reported that a photographer once "crossed the line" with her and wanted her to pose topless. She did not feel comfortable and he did not respect her "no." He reportedly pushed her and got physical and she "decked him." During Sports Illustrated Swimsuit's 50th Anniversary event, Ireland's 1989 cover was awarded "The Greatest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover of All Time" by its publisher. Business Ventures In 1993, Kathy Ireland's name on a line of socks sold a hundred million pairs and Kmart took notice, subsequently giving Ireland her own clothing line including swimwear, active wear, accessories, sweaters and more. She then founded kathy ireland Worldwide, initially a brand marketing firm, which she and her related trusts own in its entirety. The company concentrated on building its business in home products in 2003, after it cut its exclusive ties to Kmart. In 2004, Ireland's annual take was thought to be around ten million dollars. Forbes described Ireland as a "prototype for model-turned-mogul" in a 2006 article about the trend of modelpreneurs. By 2004, kathy ireland Worldwide was marketing products from sixteen manufacturers, including those of Nourison and Pacific Coast Lighting. Between 2005 and 2012, products bearing Ireland's brand generated two billion dollars in annual retail sales and the company became a leader in its industry. In a May 2012, British Vogue article, Ireland was called the world's richest model. In 2015, kathy ireland Worldwide was ranked #31 on License! Global magazine's Top 150 Global Licensors. Ireland's billionaire friend and Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett advised her to enter into the home furnishings business. "Fashion and apparel is consistently changing, but in home it's more consistent," Buffett said. Buffet opens each Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting with Ireland and Bill Gates. Ireland also designs wedding dresses and social occasion gowns. She launched her line of wedding gowns by presenting a runway fashion show at the Festival of Brides held in Disneyland Resort. Fashion is not Ireland's only venture. Sterling/Winters Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kathy Ireland Worldwide, which is the management company for multi-Grammy Award-winning artist Janet Jackson. Ireland has branded products in many classifications including the Home, Fashion Apparel, Wedding, Fine Jewelry, Baby, Children's Toys and books, Publishing, Pet Care, Crafts, and Gift markets. American Legend launched a Kathy Ireland collection consisting of thirty styles, which was featured at Macy's beginning in Fall 2011. Ireland is chief designer for Royal Footwear & Accessories (The RFA Group). She has established a relationship with manufacturer Gorham designing dinnerware, glassware and flatware. Ireland designed a collection of jewelry inspired by Elizabeth Taylor. She welcomed Elizabeth Taylor's dogs, Gracie and Delilah, into her home, also inspirations for her collection of pet care products. Ireland launched a collection of pet products called Loved Ones, which includes furniture, bowls, collars, toys and luxury bedding. She teamed up with Worldwise Inc., a pet products company based in San Rafael, California, to create the pet collection. Public Speaking Ireland has delivered numerous keynote speeches at corporate events, industry conventions, expos, entrepreneurial events, social media conferences, and pro-life events. She spoke at the fourth Youth Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters 13 August 2007 encouraging young people to engage in activities aimed at ending poverty. Ireland gave a keynote at the Googleplex, the corporate headquarters for Google 12 July 2012. She delivered the keynote at Licensing International Expo 2012 in Las Vegas. Personal Life Ireland is a Christian. She is a pro-life advocate. She married physician Greg Olsen in 1988, and they have three children; Erik, Lily, and Chloe. Forbes named Ireland one of the twenty most successful, self-made women in California, and named Ireland one of Forbes' top 50 most successful women as measured by their net worth. In her Today Show interview with Matt Lauer, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model Hannah Davis stated that she strives to emulate Kathy Ireland. In her Today Show interview, Kate Upton stated that her career was inspired by Kathy Ireland. Ireland appeared on Larry King Live in 2009 to discuss her weight gain and women's health. She had gained a pound a year for twenty-five years and the cumulative effect had become obvious to her in a candid photograph her son had taken. Elizabeth Taylor and Ireland had a close friendship and attended public events together. After Ireland received outspoken criticism for her uneven performance as an on-air host of ABC's 2010 pre-Oscar special, Taylor publicly defended Ireland; "I have never seen anyone epitomize glamour and grace and professionalism like she did." Ireland publicly credits Taylor as her mentor and for part of her success in life, business, design and philanthropy. Taylor bequeathed her Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Oscar to Ireland. Dancing with the Stars 9 She was partnered with Tony Dovolani. They placed 14th. Scores * Score was awarded by stand-in judge Baz Luhrmann. Gallery Kathy_&_Tony_S9.jpg KathyIreland-Promo9.jpg Category:Females Category:Contestants Category:Season 9 contestants Category:Actors